According to the rules, that includes claiming that COVID-19 is not real or that vaccines are designed to kill people, but Rogan, who says he is not against vaccines, has not gone that far. His most controversial episode, featuring the medical researcher Robert Malone, who conducted some early work on mRNA vaccines decades ago but now spreads doubts about COVID-19 vaccines’ performance and risks, remains online.
The Canadian star Neil Young, left, has pulled his music from Spotify because of segments on Joe Rogan’s podcast.Credit:AP
In an Instagram video posted on Friday, Rogan apologised to Spotify for the controversy, thanked the service for its support and said he would be open to having more medical experts on after his controversial guests.
“I do my best and they’re just conversations, and I think that’s also the appeal of the show,” Mr Rogan said.
But he defended Dr Malone’s credentials and disputed claims that his podcast had spread misinformation, saying some of what had previously been termed misinformation had since been validated.
A collection of 270 scientists, doctors, nurses and associated professionals released a letter on January 10 saying Rogan was spreading “misleading and false claims on his podcast” in response to the episode.
This week Prince Harry and his wife Meghan revealed they had expressed concern to Spotify over misinformation on its platform but were committed to their podcast arrangement with the company, which also reportedly committed to a $100 million deal with Rogan to move his podcast and its 11 million listeners to the service.
The saga has put Spotify, which has largely escaped hard political questions because of its history as a music service, in the global spotlight that other technology giants such as Facebook and Twitter have long-faced as podcasts become a crucial part of its business.
In a joint response to questions from The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Conway and Zygier said they had listened to Rogan since before he became exclusive to Spotify. Asked about their broader view on vaccination and pandemic responses, both said they were vaccinated and careful around vulnerable people.
“We think the lockdowns are yet to be judged as to the cost benefit to the community. Clearly the disease is still raging.”
Their initial post on their site and subsequent responses to fans from their joint Facebook page framed their stance as one supporting free speech.
“Why is there blind trust in ‘official’ ideas and that anything else must not be heard?” Conway and Zygier asked.
Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek has moved his company heavily into podcasts, opening up a new revenue opportunity but also fresh controversies.Credit:Bloomberg
“Neil and Joni are brilliant songwriters, clearly principled, good on them, but f--k, they are wrong.”
In response to one commenter who said free speech should be limited where it leads to physical harm to others, Conway and Zygier’s Facebook page said that merely considering ideas did not necessarily lead to anything.
Loading
“If you’re talking about people hurting themselves because of so-called anti-vax ideas, well there’s a slippery slope of what we can do to our own bodies and that slope is also worthy of free discussion.”
The overwhelming medical and scientific consensus is that while COVID-19 vaccines may have side effects, they are safe and highly effective, especially in contrast to the hugely greater risk posed by COVID-19 to unvaccinated people.
Salmon, the rocker, said that he’d long intended to take a stand against Spotify, for reasons including Mr Ek’s investment in a defence artificial intelligence company, but had been moved to act by Young and Mitchell’s stance and was in the process of having works he controlled removed.
“Trolls one and all line up to call me a bandwagon jumping sheeple person! I’m only gonna post and ignore the sh-t outta the lotta ya!“
Get news and reviews on technology, gadgets and gaming in our Technology newsletter every Friday. Sign up here.